Reducing machine



April 7, 1936.

J. T, FOWLER REDUCING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1931 2 SheetsSheet 1 El 1 32 l 1 l l 34 2 I 1 5"! G. I 1 8 1 II '4 o I (9 o 56 c l [4; as 4- I2 I REC l5 Ii o I\ Q sz a f N VE/Y TOR April 1936- J. T. FOWLER 2,036,521

REDUCING MACHINE Filed June 25, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 30 i a l I l I i I F A a //v VEb/TOFP John T fow/er Patented Apr. 7, 1936 PATENT OFFICE REDUCING MACHINE John T. Fowler, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, Columbus, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 25, 1931, Serial No. 546,869

14 Claims.

The present invention relates to discharge control method and means for rotary reducing machines for the shredding of wet fibrous material such as wood chips, cornstalks, bagasse, rags, etc.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved discharge control method and means adapted to the production of a relatively fine product in sufficiently large capacity to insure economical operation of such rotary reducing machines.

It is the purpose of the present invention to hold the material in the machine under controlled discharge so that effective reduction is secured.

According to the present invention, I provide at the discharge end of the reducing zone of the machine, mechanical discharge means which .provides a novel arrangement for removing reduced material from the casing at a predetermined rate and also provides for finer reduction than is possible with machines of this type as heretofore used.

Heretofore, if a hammer mill type machine was used for reducing such material, a spaced bar screen cage, with the bars spaced to give the desired product had to be used resulting in small capacity if a relatively fine product was desired. When reducing wet fibrous material in such a machine there is a tendency for the screen cage to clog, requiring a reduction in the feed until the machine can clear itself, otherwise the material will pile up rearwardly of the reducing zone and eventually stall the machine.

- According to one embodiment of the invention the usual screen bars are replaced by an imperforate wall composed, for example, of bars arranged in lateral contact to prevent the escape of material therebetween, the bars constituting a grid having sharp abutment edges to aid in the reduction of the material by retarding movement of the material through the reduction zone. Under the circumstances, the only discharge is at the discharge end of the reducing zone and is under the complete control of the discharge mechanism, the speed of which may be regulated so that material may be held within the path of the rotor a sufiicient length of time to insure effective reduction.

Another embodiment of my invention utilizes the spaced bar cage and in this case part of the material will, of course, escape between the bars, although the reduction of the material as a whole will be controlled by the discharge mechanism which regulates the escape of material passed through the reducing zone.

In order that the different reducing effects may be secured, the action of the dicharge mechanism is regulatable. Provision is also made for the self-adjustment of the discharge mechanism whereby overloading of the machine, as by unskilled labor, is compensated for and lumped or bailed material permitted to escape.

A machine embodying in a practical, illustrative, form is shown in the accompanying drawings;

Figure 1 being a top plan view of the machine;

Figure 2, a side elevation;

Figure 3, a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4, a section on line [-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5, a section of a modified form of cage, and

Figure 6, a section of another modified form of cage.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral 5 designates generally a casing and 6 a rotor revoluble within the casing on a horizontal shaft 1 supported in bearings 8 and 9. As here shown, the rotor includes swing hammers Ill, although it will be understood that the precise type of rotor is immaterial so far as the present invention is concerned.

Supported beneath the rotor are a series of axially extending bars II in laterally contacting relation, these bars being arranged on an are having shaft 1 as its center and forming a grid which, with the rotor, defines a reducing zone.

Above the forward end of the reducing zone (the direction of rotation of the rotor being that of the arrow, Figure 3) the casing is provided with a feed opening I2, and rearwardly of the reducing zone the casing is provided with a discharge opening i3, a trough having side walls I and I5 and a bottom wall i6 projecting outwardly of the casing at the discharge opening to guide material from the latter.

At the discharge side of the rotor, the upwardly projecting side walls I1 and I 8 of the casing support ashaft i9 parallel to shaft 1 in bearings 20 and 2| for rotary movement. Inwardly of the bearings the shaft l9 passes through a pair of brackets of which one is shown at 22, Figure 3, the brackets being fixed to one end of a frame or plate 23 which extends above the rearward end of the reducing zone'and into the trough, above described. At its other end, 4

frame 23 supports a pair of brackets as at 24, in which is journaled a shaft 25, the brackets being displaceable longitudinally of the frame by means of screws as at 26. 7

Fixed on shaft l8 are a plurality of head wheels of which one is shown at 21, Figure 3, while shaft 25 supports a plurality of foot wheels as at 28, the respective wheels engaging endless draft devices or chains as at 29 which support flights 30 which may be conveniently constituted by angle bars as shown.

It will be evident that with the lower run of draft devices 29 traveling in the direction of the arrow, Figure 3, material passed through the reducing zone will be engaged and discharged through the discharge opening l3 and along the trough. Frame 23 is freely pivotal about the axis of shaft I 9, its lower end having a floating support on the material to be discharged. With no material in the machine, downward movement of the lower end of the conveyor is limited by means of straps 23' secured to, frame 23 and extending upwardly between the conveyor and side plates I4 with their upper ends hooked over the side face, Figures 2 and 3.

The drive for the conveyor unit constituted by frame 23 and the draft and material engaging devices is, as here shown, derived from the rotor shaft 1, although the drive may be derived from any other suitable source.

The rotor receives its drive from any suitable agency through a pulley 3| fixed to shaft 1. Journaled in bearing portions 32 and 33 of brackets 34 and 35, fixed at the upper edges of casing side walls l1 and I8 is a shaft 36 in parallel relation to shaft 1. At one end, shaft 36 has fixed thereto a disc 31 having a friction facing 38 while on the other end of the shaft is fixed a pulley 39 adapted to be driven from a pulley 40 on shaft 1 through a belt 4|. -The hubs of disc 31 and pulley 39 are positioned outwardly of the bearings for shaft 36 and far enough from the latter to allow a small range of longitudinal displace'ability for shaft 36.

Journaled in a bearing portion 42 formed on bracket 35 is one end of a shaft 43 whose axis intersects the axis of shaft 36 at right angles. The other end of shaft 43 has a worm fixed thereto within a bearing 44 supported on a housing 45 for a worm'wheel which is fixed on shaft IS. The worm and worm wheel, which are not shown in the drawings, are in engagement so that the rotation of shaft 43 is imparted to shaft I 9. Splined on shaft 43 is a disc 46 adapted to be driven by disc 31 in the well-known manner. Disc 46 has a hub 41 provided with a peripheral groove in which are engaged opposed pins 48 and 48 in the bifurcated end of an arm 56 of a bell crank lever whose other arm 5| serves as a handle and may be locked at various positions about its pivoting axis 5| through a bolt and slot arrangement 52, 53. Through adjustment of the bell crank lever and consequent adjustment of disc 46 radially of disc 31, the speed of shaft 43 may be varied as desired relative to the speed of shaft 36, which as shown, is driven from the rotor shaft.

An externally threaded sleeve 54 surrounds shaft 36 within bearing 32, the threads of the sleeve engaging threads formed in the bearing. A compression spring 55 is interposed between the inner end of. sleeve 54 and an abutment ring 56 secured to shaft 36. A hand lever 51 is fixed to sleeve 54 and by manipulation of the lever to rotate the sleeve relative to the housing, it will be evident that spring 55 may be tensioned or released to engage or disengage disc 31 and disc 46. A tie rod 58 extends between an arm 59 of bracket 34 and an arm 60 of bracket 35 and serves to limit movement of lever 51 in one direction. A bolt 6| fixed to an arm 62 of bracket 34 serves to limit movement of lever 51 in the other direction, a substantially swing of the lever being sufficient to control the engagement and disengagement of the drive discs.

According to Figure 5 the cage comprises screen bars 63 spaced in the usual manner. while according to Figure 6 a smooth imperforate plate 64 is utilized. It will be understood that in the application of the present invention the precise form of the reducing machine is immaterial and the cage and rotor elements may be constituted as desired.

It will be evident that the discharge conveyor may be operated at the requisite speed through suitable adjustment of the speed control mechanism.

In any event, proper control of the speed of the conveyor will serve to hold the material in the reducing zone for more prolonged treatment than is possible in a machine without the discharge provision of the present invention. Ordinarily, the conveyor will fioat in a substantially constant position once the machine has been set although it will automatically rise to permit the escape of lumped or balled material or to compensate for over-feed. With the conveyor traveling in a direction to move material out of the casing, the material farthest from the discharge end of the conveyor will be carried into the range of successive heaters and is thus subjected to further action thereby. This in itself is of particular service in the disintegration of lumped or balled material.

It will be understood that the invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms other than that shown, and accordingly I do not limit myself to structure except as in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a reducing machine comprising a casing, a rotor in the casing Journaled on a horizontal axis, and means supported adjacent the rotor and defining therewith a reducing zone, the casing having a feed opening forwardly of said zone and a discharge opening rearwardly of said zone, the combination of orbitally guided material engaging elements arranged to engage and discharge through the discharge opening material passed through the reducing zone, the orbital guide means being movable and the active material engaging elements floating on the material to be discharged.

2. In a reducing machine comprising a. casing, a rotor in the casing Journaled on a. horizontal axis, and means supported adjacent the rotor and defining therewith a reducing zone. the casing having a feed opening forwardly of said zone and a discharge opening rearwardly of said zone, the combination of a frame positioned rearwardly of said zone, an endless draft device guided about said frame in upper and lower runs, material engaging elements secured to said draft device, and means for driving the draft device, the material engaging elements on the lower run engaging material passed through the reducing zone to discharge it through the discharge opening, the frame having floating support on the material to be discharged.

3. In a reducing machine comprising a casing, a rotor in the casing joumaled on a horizontal axis, and means supported adjacent the rotor and defining therewith a reducing zone, the casing having a feed opening forwardly of said zone and a discharge opening rearwardly of said zone,

the combination of a frame positioned rearwardly of said zone, an endless draft device guided about said frame in upper and lower runs, material engaging elements secured to said draft device, means for driving the draft device, the material engaging elements on the lower run engaging material passed through the reducing zone to discharge it through the discharge opening, the discharge end of the frame being supported on the material to be discharged, and means pivotally supporting the other end of the frame.

4. In a reducing machine comprising a casing, a rotor in the casing, and means supported ad- Jacent the rotor and defining therewith a reducing zone, the casing having a feed opening and a. discharge opening in communication with said zone, the combination of material engaging elements moving outwardly of the casing and across the rearward end of said zone in blocking relation thereto for engaging and discharging through the discharge opening material passed through the reducing zone, said material engaging elements being movably mounted as awhole, the active material engaging elements floating on the material to be discharged.

5. In a reducing machine comprising a casing, a rotor in the casing, and means supported adjacent the rotor and defining therewith a reducing zone, the casing having feed and discharge openings in communication with said zone, the combination of a conveyor positioned rearwardly of said zone, material engaging elements on said conveyor, and means for driving the conveyor, the material engaging elements of the conveyor engaging material passed through the reducing zone to discharge it through the discharge opening, the conveyor having floating support on the material to be discharged.

6. In a reducing machine comprising a casing, a rotor in the casing journaled on a horizontal axis, and means supported beneath the rotor and defining therewith a reducing zone, the casing having a feed opening forwardly of said zone and a discharge opening rearwardly of said zone, the combination of a discharge trough projecting outwardly of the casing to guide material from the discharge opening, and a conveyor operating above said trough and the rearward end of the reducing zone to discharge material passed from the reducing zone.

7. In a reducing machine comprising a casing, a rotor in the casing journaled on a horizontal axis, and means supported beneath the rotor and defining therewith a reducing zone, the casing having a feed opening forwardly of said zone and a discharge opening rearwardly of said zone, the combination of an elongated, frame, head and foot wheels journaled at the ends of the frame on axes parallel to the rotor axis, an endless draft device mounted on said wheels, material engaging elements on said draft device, said frame extending above the rearward end of the reducing zone with the head wheel adjacent the rotor, and means for driving the head wheel, the material engaging elements on the lower run of the draft device engaging material passed from the reducing zone to discharge it through the discharge opening.

8. In a reducing machine comprising a casing, a rotor in the casing journaled on a horizontal axis, and means supported beneath the rotor and defining therewith a reducing zone, the casing having a feed opening forwardly of said zone and a discharge opening rearwardly of said zone, the combination of an elongated frame,

head and foot wheels iournaled at the ends of the frame on axes parallel to the rotor axis, an endless draft device mounted on said wheels, material engaging elements on said draft device, said frame extending above the rearward end of the reducing zone with the head wheel adjacent the rotor, and means for driving the head wheel from the rotor, the material engaging elements on the lower run of the draft device engaging material passed from the reducing zone to discharge it through the discharge opening.

9. In a reducing machine comprising a casing, a rotor in the casing journaled on a horizontal axis, and means supported beneath the rotor and defining therewith a reducing zone, the casing having a feed opening forwardly of said zone and a discharge opening rearwardly of said zone, the combination of an elongated frame, head and foot wheels iournaled at the ends of the frame on axes parallel to the rotor axis, an endless draft device mounted on said wheels, material engaging elements on said draft device, said frame extending above the rearward end of the reducing zone with the head wheel adjacent the rotor, and means including change speed mechanism for driving the head wheel from the rotor,

the material engaging elements on the lower run of the draft device engaging material passed from the reducing zone to discharge it through the discharge opening.

10. In a reducing machine comprising a casing, a rotor on the casing journaled on a horizontal axis, and means supported beneath the rotor and defining therewith a reducing zone, the casing having a feed opening forwardly of said zone and a discharge opening rearwardly of said zone, the combination of an elongated frame, head and foot wheels journaled at the ends of the frame on axes parallel to the rotor axis, an endless draft device mounted on said wheels, material engaging elements on said draft device, said frame extending above the rearward end of the reducing zone with the head wheel adjacent the rotor, means coaxial with the head wheel for pivotally supporting the-frame, and means for driving the head wheel, the material engaging elements on the lower run of the draft device engaging the material passed from the reducing zone to discharge it through the discharge opening, the foot end of the frame being supported on the material to be discharged.

11. In the method of reducing material which comprises feeding the material to a reducing zone wherein it is subjected to beating action which positively impels the material toward the discharge end of said zone, initially feeding the material into the reducing zone and impeding its escape from the discharge end thereof until the material substantially fills said zone, and thereupon, while continuing feed to maintain the reducing zone substantially full, effecting positive discharge of the material at the discharge end of said zone at a rate to retard passage of the material through said zone whereby to prolong the reducing action on the material in said zone.

12. In a reducing machine comprising a rotor, a housing, and a substantially imperforate fixed concave cage supported adjacent the rotor to cooperate therewith to reduce material, the rotor,

housing, and cage defining a confined reducing zone having an inlet end and a discharge end, there being a feed opening at the inlet end of said zone positioned so that material fed therethrough is impelled by the rotor through said ill reducing zone and to said discharge end in the direction of rotor rotation, the combination of means for controlling the rate of passage oi. material through said zone, said means comprising a conveyor having a run adjacent the discharge end of said zone, said conveyor being of such width and said run being so disposed as to extend substantially across said discharge end, the conveyor being of a construction to prevent the passage therethrough of reduced material, said run defining a portion of a'discharge opening and serving to engage and discharge material out of zone, the arrangement being such that material passed through said zone under the impelling action of the rotor is discharged at a rate determined by the discharge action of said conveyor run.

I end so that the material engaging means is in blocking reiation thereto, and means for driving said material engaging means, said materiai engaging means having a variable discharge eflect and being operable with an eflect to irn'pede movement of material through the reducing zone whereby to prolong the reducing action on material in, said zone.

14. The combination with a reducing machine, said machine comprising a rotor and means mounted adjacent the rotor and defining therewith a confined reducing zone having feeding and discharge ends, of an endless conveyor run adiacent the discharge end of said zone and of such width and so disposed as to extend substantially across said discharge end, said run being of a construction to prevent the passage of reduced material therethrough and defining a portion 01' a discharge opening and serving to engage and discharge material out of said zone, means mounting said run to provide floating engagement thereof with the material to be discharged thereby, the arrangement being such that material is passed through said zone under the impelling action of' the rotor at a rate determined by the discharge action of said conveyor run.

JOHN T. FOWLER. 

